


L: I loved and I loved and I lost you

by dlodle0



Series: Soulmates A-Z [12]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29861343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dlodle0/pseuds/dlodle0
Summary: For each person there is a sentence- a series of words- which has the power to destroy them-l...ast words your soulmate says are written on your skin, so you do not know it is them until they are gone.
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane
Series: Soulmates A-Z [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2149590
Comments: 16
Kudos: 47





	L: I loved and I loved and I lost you

**Author's Note:**

> So y'all remember the other day when the episode came up and Viceversa gave you a cute little ending to her fic where they actually work things out? Yeah that doesn't happen here. Grab your tissues y'all. We're going on a trip.

Jack had hated the idea of a soulmate ever since she could remember. The idea of not knowing who it was who was perfect for you until it was too late was too hard, too cruel for her to understand. All they knew of the system was that it had been a curse bestowed on them before anyone could remember and that the words always appeared on the morning of your 21st birthday.

Many people felt that they knew who their soulmate was and got married, doing their best to ignore the words that were on their skin. If they were wrong, it normally didn’t matter in the end. Growing up Jack had always felt the most for people who had marks that read something simple like, “I’m going to get the mail.” Or “See you tomorrow.” She never imagined she would be one of them. 

Waking up on her 21st birthday, the very first thing she did was scramble out of bed to her mirror, searching her body for the mark. Izzy, who had spent the night, groaned at the sudden noise. “Jackie.. what time is it?”

“Morning.” She answered, still looking and then her breath caught and Izzy snapped awake. 

“Your mark.” 

“Yeah.” Jack felt her eyes start to burn as she took in the words.  _ Later, Jack.  _ She thought of how many times in her life she could possibly hear those words and sat down, trying to convince herself it was okay. If I never go by Jack, she thought hopelessly, they can’t say later Jack. Maybe I won’t lose them. 

  
  


XXX

32 years later, Jack looked up from her lunch as her office door opened. “What’s up, Gibbs?” 

“Just coming to see if you got anything for me.” He nodded at the file on her desk and she put down her sandwich. 

“Not much that we didn’t already know.” She sighed, tucking her legs under her in the chair. “She had a few close friends but they all have nothing but good things to say. Her boss said she was always timely and willing to help out.” She closed the file, “I’ve really got nothing.”

He rubbed his hand down his face, clearly aggravated by the news. She leaned across the desk to reach for his other hand. He squeezed once before letting their hands rest together.

“You’re not normally like this over a case Cowboy. What’s going on?”

He didn’t answer, simply pulling his hand back as his phone rang. He listened for a moment before standing and Jack rushed to stop him from reaching the door.

“Gibbs, please.” She tried to insist but he put his hand on her hip, gently shifting her out of the way.

“Later Jack.” He promised softly and she sighed, 

“I’ll be here, Cowboy.” She answered, not even registering what he had just said. 

XXX

Jack was mid work-out when her phone rang. She let it go at first but almost as soon as it stopped, it started again. She frowned, this time hesitating but continued. This time went the phone stopped, the entire room was silent. She starred in the direction of her bag, a feeling of dread building in her gut. “Don’t.” She whispered, “Please don’t.” 

It rang again and this time she took a deep breath before walking over, Ellie’s picture was bright on her screen and she sniffled as she answered. “He’s dead, isn’t he?” She asked before Ellie could even speak.

“How did you know?” Ellie’s voice was tight, clearly fighting back her own emotions. 

Jack’s hand fell to her hip, covering the words she knew were there as the memory of his last words hit her. The way he had promised, they were supposed to talk later. Now it would never happen. She stumbled backwards until she bumped into the wall and then let herself sink down to the floor. 

“He was my soulmate.”

XXX

It was nearly eleven that night when Jack decided she had to see him. After his team had gotten back earlier that day, they had all come up to her office. She had tried to send them all home but they had insisted on staying. Now they were spread out throughout her office, fast asleep on her floor. 

She carefully stepped over them, treading as quietly as possible. She made it out of the office without waking any of them and got into the elevator, finally letting herself relax. Ever since his team had gotten back, she had been in psychologist mode doing her best to stay strong and support them. 

Now, in the silence of the elevator she could finally just  _ be _ again. She turned the elevator off, closing her eyes letting all of her emotions roll over her in waves. When she was ready, she turned the elevator back on and hit the down button. 

The autopsy floor was dark and the doors opened when she approached as if they had been waiting for her. She knew exactly where he was. Leon had tried to get her to come down earlier in the day with the rest of the team but she had refused. Even now she resisted, her hand resting on the door he was behind. 

“Would you like to see him, Jacqueline?” Ducky came up beside her, placing his hand on her back. “I can open it up.”

Jack took a step back, a silent yes and he opened the door for her. Jack couldn’t help the hot tears that trickled down her cheeks when she saw him. She reached over taking his hand as she had earlier that day. “Oh Cowboy.” She whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

She wiped her cheeks roughly, “Can I ask you something?” She asked, looking up at Ducky and the doctor nodded.

“Of course. Anything at all.”

“Do you know if he- if he has a soulmate mark?”

The look in her friend’s eyes let her know the answer and she nodded. “Can I see it please?”

“Of course.” He carefully moved the sheet covering Gibbs even further down until Jack could see the mark over his left side ribs. The four words she had said so unknowingly hours before, 

“I’ll be waiting, Cowboy.” 

She pressed a kiss to her hand and then placed it just over his mark, knowing that now, he would be the one who was waiting on her.


End file.
